Google Trends reveals some interesting statistics on the popularity of the major Linux distributions. (If the aforementioned link fails to work, click the image below to see a screen grab).
Comparing distros in this fashion is an inexact science, but the figures suggest that the popularity of Redhat is in freefall, with no sign of a recovery in sight. In contrast, Fedora (Redhat’s open source little brother) and Debian appear to be thriving, and newcomer Mandriva has made significant gains in a mere 18 months.
So, how can Redhat arrest this apparent decline? The acquisition of JBoss was a smart move, but it’s debatable whether this will encourage a greater interest in Redhat. In contrast, there’s a real buzz around many of the alternatives, and the proliferation of live CDs (an initiative Redhat have yet to implement) will only serve to encourage installations.
For more information on the myriad flavours of Linux available head to DistroWatch.com.
